Mac Davis

Morris Mac Davis, known as Mac Davis (born January 21, 1942), is a country music singer and songwriter originally from Lubbock, Texas who has enjoyed much pop music crossover success. He became one of the most successful country singers of the 1970s and 1980s. He is also an actor.

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Life and carreer

in the late '60s, Davis became famous as a songwriter and got his start as an employee of Nancy Sinatra's company, Boots Enterprises, Inc.. Davis was with Boots for several years. During his time there, he played on many of Sinatra's recordings and she put him in her stage shows. Boots Enterprises was also published Davis' songs. Davis left Boots Enterprises, Inc. in 1970 to sign with Columbia Records, taking his songs with him.

He became known later also as a country singer. Especially during the 1970s, many of his songs scored successfully on the country and popular music charts. During this time, he also was active as an actor, hosting his own variety show and also acting in several movies.

In 1974, Davis was awarded the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year award.

At the end of the 1970s, he moved to Casablanca Records, which was now vending country music and was known primarily for its success with disco diva Donna Summer and rockers KISS. His first success for the company in 1980 was the novelty song "It's Hard To Be Humble" which became his first country music Top 10. He also had another Top 10 song with "Let's Keep It That Way" later in the year.

By the mid-1980s, his career in music was declining. His chart success was decreasing rapidly; Davis was one of many country singers who had pop music crossover success in the 1970s and 1980s whose careers slowed down to make way for artists like Garth Brooks and Clint Black.

After Casablanca Records closed down, Davis recorded for a short period of time with MCA Records in the mid 1980s. In 1989, he gained attention when he collaborated with Dolly Parton on her White Limozeen album, co-writing the title track with Parton, and duetting with her on another of the tracks. That same year, he also was on Broadway, performing in the show The Will Rogers Follies.

Mac Davis was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June 2006.

In 2010, rock band Weezer featured a song cowritten by Davis on their album Hurley.

Davis is honored by the naming of Mac Davis Lane at Avenue Q in his native Lubbock, which he still visits on occasion. He also has a plaque on the West Texas Walk of Fame, beneath the statue of Buddy Holly. He currently describes the golf course as his office.